Outside Ascension
World Discovery Deck & Interactive Quest Design Sample
by
Nina Pacific
Would you sacrifice your place in paradise to save those on the outside?
Ascension
Story Snapshot - Part 1
We begin our story with our hero, Aethra. All she has known is Ascension - a haven nestled in the clouds. Ascension is invisible to the naked eye and is a peaceful place, seemingly unbound by the rules of space and time that plague the planet below. Inhabitants here are ageless, living in peace and harmony - always finding a tree to climb or a meadow to frolic in with the gentle creatures who live here.
Aethra knows of legends from an ancient time long past, where carnage and cruelty were rampant within a world that once existed below. The people there were cruel to each other and destroyed the land they called home. Creatures were killed for sport. Natural resources became so deteriorated that oxygen became an expensive commodity used as leverage for labor by the Synthetic Oxygen Capitol - a city enveloped in an environmental shield.
However, in this world, those who stayed gentle, compassionate, and pure of heart started learning from the creatures around them. They were set apart from other humans who would not sit with and listen to any other species long enough to gain their trust. Some wore gifted gills and built sustainable cities under the sea. Others gained healing abilities from ethereal beings with regenerative qualities. An unlucky few tried to learn the secrets of volcanoes and its inhabitants but were never seen again.
There were also humans who were gifted the power of flight from winged creatures in the sky. These were the settlers who discovered Ascension - an ethereal landscape enveloped in clouds. In the present time, where our story starts, it is said to be the only place in existence.
Character Highlight
Name: Aethra
Pronouns: She/Her
Age: Unknown
Appearance: Looks to be 20-something, short in stature, with unevenly cut short & straight lilac hair
Ascension
Story Snapshot - Part 2
However, the harmonious state of Ascension begins to slowly waver, as strange yet seemingly harmless (at least, at first) changes start happening - Mushrooms popping up in fields, materials, and objects changing colors and texture. This is where our gameplay begins.
Aethra is approached by Enyo - a woman who looks young yet has a contrasting elderly quality to her voice. She assigns Aethra the task of investigating some of the changes happening around their village. (Look toward the end of this presentation for the quest design of this task.) After some exploration, Aethra finds a strange-looking creature she’s never seen before (a cat) and the first stranger she’s ever met (Simon.) She is shocked to learn that the legends she knows are not only true stories of the past but are still happening in the present. Simon had come to receive help, but the others in Ascension declined, as they were too fearful of the world below. Aethra is the only one who accepts this responsibility.
Throughout the game, she slowly learns that she only knows what she does of the “legends” of the world because they are, in fact, her memories. Who she was before Ascension slowly reveals itself, and eventually provides her with the insight she’ll need to save the world, alongside her new friends and creature companions.
Character Highlight
Name: Simon
Pronouns: He/Him
Age: Unknown
Appearance: Looks to be 20-something, lanky in stature. When he is introduced, he is wearing an oxygen helmet.
Ascension
An array of armored accessories can be found, crafted, and bought here. They are made with resources from Hyaline’s crystal terrain and contain their unique properties.
Hyaline’s ethereal beings will often bargain with you by providing healing tonics and abilities in return for anything from a simple chore to completion of a dangerous obstacle for their amusement.
Hyaline Isle
Hyaline Isle is an island entirely made of quartz and crystal. Fairy-like creatures with regenerative powers inhabit this area. Though some might help you on your journey, these beings are mischievous to their core and won’t think twice about playing tricks or demanding answers to riddles.
Robotic Mounts can be engineered with many of the tools and materials found in the capitol. Some can add speed while others can act as supplementary armor etc.
The capitol is the only place currently known to grow chemical compounds needed to great explosives - you may be able to find someone to aid you in crafting such weapons in shadows of the black market.
SoC
The only area in the world classified as “habitable”, SoC, or the Synthetic Oxygen Capitol, is a futuristic dystopian city. It’s economy is built around natural resources, elements, and clean air - and with environmental inflation, the prices of goods are not cheap.
Teleportation - Your character gains the ability to teleport as a part of an initial tutorial quest, and can thereafter teleport to specific unlocked areas on their map.
Translucency, or invisibility, is granted as a quest reward later on in the game on one of your routine returns to Ascension, as this place is somewhat of a “home base.” However, the area of Ascension does morph and change over time, conjuring new tasks that need to be done and obstacles to be completed,
Ascension
Ascension is where our game begins. It acts as both a tutorial area as well as a touch point for milestones in the game. A more in depth description is detailed in the “Story Snapshot” section of this presentation.
Attributes (Awarded by Quest)
Gills = Underwater Stamina
Flippers = Swim Speed
Special Attack (Awarded by Quest) Water Incantation = Temporarily grants the abilities to release water from the hands and feet at an impressive speed, boosting your agility both in water and on land. The speed of such a move runs the water down like blades, and is quite a powerful defense for anyone caught in your trail.
Atoll
An Underwater World with submerged cities and villages - Most of Atoll’s inhabitants have evolved fish-like attributes in order to thrive here - however, visitors are welcome - as long as they can afford to refill their air tanks, or somehow find a way to gain sea creature traits themselves.
Taming Talisman (Rewarded by Quest): This item grants you the ability to resurrect a creature as a companion, although be warned…once revived, they may have some deadly qualities.
Mushrooms and Fungi in these marshlands prove to pack a poisonous punch which can have many uses - you can even coat your weapons in certain deadly tonics to temporarily increase it’s damage - but be careful, the poisonous enzymes can corrode certain combat tools depending on their material.
L51
Seemingly barren land encrusted in hardened lava. If you can manage to break through the exterior, however, you’ll find a potent yet powerful biome of humid marshland that breeds deadly fungi and creatures yet to be discovered.
Something Gone Astray
Convince the Lops to leave their tree stumps.
Sample Quest Design - Something Gone Astray
I’m not sure what to do about all of these sudden changes happening in the forest…it just doesn’t sit right with me. I mean, new species of plants popping up all of a sudden? Blueberries changing color to red?
And the behavior of our creatures is certainly cause for concern…especially the Lops. They’ve been lazing away, sitting on those tree stumps and they’re getting fatter by the day!
I just know that weight distribution cannot be healthy on their short little legs. Could you do me a favor and try to get
them to budge?
Interaction Sample
*Please note that this only represents the Tree Stump & Lop interactions and does not detail all interactions & design needed to complete this quest
Triggers
Completion of colored stump tasks
Cutscene
EXT. ASCENSION FIELDS - DAY
Aethra wipes the sweat from her brow and sighs with relief. There is only one remaining LOP. She picks up a TWIG from the ground and approaches. She prods the LOP with this TWIG.
The LOP snarls and lunges toward Aethra, transforming into a cat mid-leap.
Cue battle music.
Battle Design Sample
Attack Cycle
Swirl Swipe
Range: 5 gridblocks
Direction: 360 degrees
Attack: 2 hearts
Defense: Knocks opposing player back by 5 gridblocks in the direction with which they were hit.
Bite
Range: 2 Gridblocks
Direction: Forward only
Attack: 1/2 heart
Kick
Range: 3 Gridblocks
Direction: Behind only
Attack: 1 heart
Attack
Twig Hit
Range: 3 gridblocks
Direction: Front & Front-Diagonal
Attack: 1/2 heart
Defense
Arm Shield
To Trigger: Use “Arm Shield” within 2 seconds of the strike/contact of the opponent’s attack
Direction: Can only block attack aimed at player’s front side
Triggers
Defeat Cat in Battle
Quest Completion Cutscene
EXT. ASCENDANCE FIELDS - DAY
SIMON, a lanky young man wearing a full face helmet runs toward Aethra.
SIMON
What gives?!
Simon scoops up the Cat in his arms and snuggles it. The cat frowns.
CAT
Mow.
Simon begins cooing at Cat.
SIMON
Mow mow mow. Meow meow!
Aethra grimaces and steps back, still wielding her twig.
AETHRA
Who are you? WHAT are you? Where did you come from?
SIMON
Me?
Cutscene
Quest Completion Cutscene - Continued
Simon lifts his head so that he can see the edge of the field that drops off into the sky. He signals downward.
Aethra gasps & drops her twig.
SIMON
Listen..is someone in charge around here? I’m kind of in a hurry.
AETHRA
Enyo.
SIMON
Enyo?
AETHRA
I..have to report an assignment status to Enyo. You can follow me.
Simon gently releases the Cat and the three of them walk towards Aethra’s village.